Born again in Nazareth - ONE FOR ISRAEL

CAN ANYTHING GOOD COME OUT OF NAZARETH? ABSOLUTELY! Last week, as part of our course for senior pastors, we had a week of intensive study in a hotel in Nazareth for two pastors' classes. And something rather wonderful happened. Dr. Erez Soref had gone to the hotel to visit with the pastors, but while the classes were in progress, he and a few others were sitting out in lobby. Suddenly, an official-looking lady holding a planner and notebooks appeared, asking for him by name. Erez assumed that she would be from the hotel staff, perhaps needing him to settle a bill, but it turned out that she was a delegate from a different conference about tourism at the same hotel. She had passed by a room full of pastors all talking about God, and wanted to sit in the class and listen.  She said she really wanted to know about God, so one of the pastors suggested that she should go and talk to Erez. So that's what she decided to do. In talking to her, Erez discovered that she was from a nominal Christian Arab family from the local area, and he began to share about God's love, His grace, and the peace that He gives, but she interrupted: "Wait, but you're Jewish? How come you're talking to me about Jesus?" Then she reasoned, "But Jesus was Jewish wasn't he? So I guess it's OK!" She knew a little about Jesus, but Erez asked if she would like to get to know Him personally, and she cried a little, and said yes, she would. She had beaten cancer three years ago, but and had recently undergone another round of chemotherapy, which had also been successful, and the cancer was now in remission. She said that God had preserved her, and now she wanted to know Him. Erez invited her to pray to Jesus according to his invitation in Revelation3:20: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me." She said to Erez, "You're Jewish, but are there any Arabs here that believe in Jesus?" Erez called one of the Arab pastors over to join them, who was able to share with her in Arabic, her heart language, about the Lord. He explained about the problem of sin, but she said that she didn't sin - that she was a very good person. When her parents had died, she raised her siblings, and had always tried to do her best. Erez asked, "But have you ever wanted something someone else has? Envy something?" Her eyes widened, "Does that count as sin?" Together they discussed the matter, and explained about what sin is, and the One who had the authority to forgive her sins.  Soon she was ready to make a step of faith. And so a Jewish Messianic believer, an Arab pastor, and the lady from Nazareth who wanted to come to Yeshua for forgiveness, all held hands as the Arab brother led her through a prayer to faith, from sin to repentance. She sobbed as they encouraged her, and invited her to have lunch with them all. She sat with the group of Jewish and Arab pastors together, some of whom had churches right there in Nazareth, where she lives. She is now attending one of those churches, and has great hunger to grow in the Lord and to know Him. Please pray for our new sister from Nazareth as she starts out in her new life with Jesus, in His home town.  VISIT US:  WWW.ONEFORISRAEL.ORG

An Arab Pastor Speaks Out on Gaza - Shmuel Aweida

An Arab Pastor Speaks Out on Gaza

Thursday, July 24, 2014 |  David Lazarus  ISRAEL TODAY

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The following is an open letter from Shmuel Aweida to all those "peace activists" rising up against Israel. Listen carefully, Awieda is an Israeli Arab Christian pastor who knows of what he speaks!

Dear so-called "peace-seeking people", "pro-ceasefire people" and "peace and reconciliation activists",

Forgive me for not taking your nice dreams and peace demonstrations and wishes so seriously... People who didn't care about the suffering people in Gaza under the Hamas regime for years can't really be considered morally superior to any IDF soldier that's on the ground there now. You might seem to be better and kinder, but not really... Sorry...

If you really care, then free Gaza from Hamas and other Islamic jihadist organizations! How can you feel sorry for the innocent children hurt accidentally by Israel when you don't care that the same children grow up to learn to hate intentionally? You claim to feel sorry for the hungry children while ignoring the poison they are fed every single day at Hamas and Fatah schools and on TV.

How can you feel sorry for the women crying now when you didn't care that they've been humiliated, discriminated and even raped and killed regularly for years?

Here's another thing I don't get:

These kind, sympathetic, peace-loving people who automatically want and pray for a ceasefire in Israel's war(s) against the evil, anti-Semitic, anti-human, blood-thirsty terrorist organizations like Hamas (not against the Palestinians) - they make Israel never finish "the job" and then on the top of it all, their governments and NGOs send billions of dollars of "aid" to this corrupt evil system.

And guess what happens time and again - instead of feeding the hungry with food, they feed themselves with weapons. Instead of teaching the children math, they teach them hate and jihad against the Jews. Instead of building houses and hospitals above the ground, they build terror-tunnels under the ground.

The tunnels found in the past days have cost hundreds of millions of US dollars to build! The IDF blew up millions of your money, dear nice people in the naive West!

I'm not saying that Israel is without any fault here, but sometimes I really wonder if the Palestinians' best friends are in reality the ones that maintain their oppression under this Islamic regime?

I simply don't get it! Someone here needs to get a better grasp of reality!

As much as I hate this war and the price that's being paid by our dear soldiers and the innocent civilians on both sides, I hate the fact that it's necessary! May the needed pain of war bear good fruit of peace for all! May the Lord of Hosts and Armies give us His Shalom!

There has been quite a lot of activity in the social media in the past month. I was disappointed and frustrated of some my Facebook friends and the level of naiveté and blindness with regard to the real situation and the roots of the conflicting the Middle East.

Do they really not see what the Hamas is all about or what Islam really is? Are they all so blind to what's happening around us in Syria, Iraq and all over? Don't they see what Hamas is doing to the poor population that lives under this terror daily? I don't know why I keep being surprised...

To my anti-Arab friends:

But what really surprised me was that, with regard to this operation in Gaza, the hatred, revenge and racism that filled the [Facebook] statuses of those who support Israel.

They expressed such joy over going to war and causing destruction (a joy I'm glad our leadership doesn't have). The fact they quoted Bible verses didn't make it any less stinking. So I threw those people out of my Facebook just like I did with others that posted pornography and other disgusting stuff. Trash is trash is trash.

Praying that God may protect our soldiers who are serving us and giving their lives for us - proud of the moral code of the IDF and the legitimacy of this necessary operation. Praying for those making the tough decisions - but with much more humility.

I guess we need to pray that we'll all guard our hearts from hatred, revenge, racism, pride and other destructive things that do not honor us, nor the God of Israel.

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Arab pastor: Our future is with Israel

Tuesday, July 09, 2013 |  Ryan Jones  

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Father Gabriel Nadaf, an Arab Christian priest from the area of Nazareth, told Israeli media a week ago that the future of Arab Christians is in becoming one with the Jewish state.

Israel Today has several times in recent months reported on the activities of Father Nadaf and a growing movement in Nazareth to encourage young Arab Christians to join the Israeli army and fully integrate into Israeli society.

Predictably, that effort has not been popular with Arab Muslims and more antagonistic Arab Christians, and Father Nadaf has received many death threats. The priest has also been forbidden by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch in Jerusalem from speaking further to the Israeli media.

But just days before that ban was imposed, Father Nadaf managed to explain to the Israeli daily newspaper Israel Hayom why he and other Arab Christians are engaged in such a risky endeavor.

"We want young Christians to be completely integrated into Israeli society, and this means also carrying an equal share of the burden," said the fearless priest. "Our future as a Christian minority is wrapped up in the future of the State of Israel."

Contrary to the claims of loud-mouthed Arab members of the Israeli Knesset, Father Nadaf insisted that Arab Christians "feel secure in Israel," and enjoy equal rights, and therefore should shoulder equal obligations.

The battle for the hearts and minds of young Arab Christians in Israel is heating up, and at present far too few are coming to Father Nadaf's aid, whether out of fear or apathy.

While additional Christian support would no doubt be very welcome, what Father Nadaf really wants to see if the State of Israel itself openly and publicly support Arab Christians who buck the anti-Israel trend.

"If our youth see that Israel is supporting their integration into Israeli society, the word will spread," he said. "But, if the state turns its back on us, those who incite [against Israel] will win."

A number of Israeli politicians have come out in support of Nadaf, including Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. Unfortunately, too many still do not see this as a simple black-and-white situation. The bulk of the Arab world, with which Israel is trying to make peace, strongly opposes the kind of integration Father Nadaf is seeking, and so many Israeli leaders feel they must tread lightly.

Meanwhile, a growing number of young Arab Christians are joining Israel's army and boldly speaking out on behalf of the Jewish state. Some are even going so far as to take a Christian Zionist position, noting that Jesus was a Jew, and so their allegiance must lie with the Jewish state.

Hopefully the increased Israeli media coverage of this phenomenon will result in the kind of backing Father Nadaf and others need to keep them in this important fight.

Father Gabriel Nadaf of Nazareth, Israel